When it comes to picking the definitive live-action Spider-Man, different people will choose different versions, as all three of them are iconic in their own right. But it’s important to note that out of them all, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man duology remains the most divisive, especially The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which failed to make it big upon its release.
However, despite its issues, The Amazing Spider-Man excelled in one aspect compared to Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire’s films, and it’s Peter Parker’s love interest.
Gwen Stacy Was Meant to Be Peter Parker’s Equal in Andrew Garfield’s TASM
While most hold Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy in pretty high regard, it has often garnered flak for its portrayal of Kirsten Dunst’s MJ, which leaned a bit too heavily towards the damsel in distress trope. Compared to that, MCU’s version of MJ was a vast improvement, but in the grand scheme of things, Zendaya‘s character was sidelined to make room for other aspects of Parker’s life.
But despite a brilliant performance from Zendaya in the Homecoming trilogy, it didn’t even come close to the webhead’s love interest in the TASM films. Following Marc Webb’s expertise in the romance genre, he succeeded in making Parker and Gwen Stacy’s relationship shine in the film. Moreover, thanks to the real-life bond between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, their onscreen chemistry became the highlight of the two films.
However, the chemistry between the two wasn’t the lone reason that made Stacy stand out, as instead of playing second fiddle to Parker, she was written as his equal in the film. Reflecting on this aspect of the character, Stone stressed that one of their main priority was to ensure that Gwen Stacy was her own person and not a damsel in distress.
“A lot of it is a testament to the writers and the producers and Marc. Nobody ever wanted Gwen to be a damsel in distress throughout this entire series. It was always very clear that Gwen and Peter were going to be equals, down to the camera test. That was the rapport we were able to find even in the audition process. That was never really a question.”
Even though TASM2 dropped the ball, as it was plagued with problems similar to Spider-Man 3, the bond between Stacy and Parker, and Stacy’s eventual demise remains the highlight of the sequel.
Emma Stone Didn’t Completely Close the Gates on Playing Gwen Stacy Again
Prior to No Way Home‘s release, many speculated that Gwen Stacy could be one of the returning characters in the multiversal event, but Stone made sure to debunk those rumors shortly after. But she hasn’t completely closed the door on returning to the role someday, stressing that it could be quite challenging. When asked about it by Entertainment Tonight, the Poor Things star said:
“I don’t know, that’s so challenging.”
Although time will tell if Stone’s Gwen Stacy will someday return to the big screen or not, her and Garfield’s onscreen chemistry as Parker and Gwen Stacy still remains unmatched.
The Amazing Spider-Man is available to rent on Apple TV.
